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What might the value be of studying them?

To study something is to involve oneself further into the process of it’s future creation.

It is for this reason which the artists and creative imagineers to study popular genres.

To consider or entertain the adhere in conception there is a great value for studying popular genres. To consider or entertain the adhere in conception there is indeed a increasing great value for studying popular genres further into a more commercial society.

As popular genres in general have gained increased inexplicably and conceivably support as something serious, concrete pastime in our 21st century, there is increasing value assigned to society for its academic analysis and further critique.

The value to study stories, narratives are useful to the future fledgling artists and wielders of creativity to further society.

To study popular genres is to become more aware of the social mirror profoundly ornately displayed depiction of reality, the issues found and demonstrated shown and discussed of form through mediums of genres and discourse as creators of imaginations.

Popular genres are a means to continue the intrinsically important point to the art of storytelling, and textually advanced practice more than just entertainment and art- as a profession, a vocation for the meek.

Popular genres has become more vindicated and valorised in the eyes of the public masses.

It has become a means to appreciating opinions on a timeline in a vaster accessible form and manner than historical literature of poetry and epics.

The indicated  intrinsic value of studying popular genres a value is more than twofold:

Firstly it allows us to study the incumbent verve of artistic medium of creative fiction in a irrational verve, to reach the sublime symbolical nature that is more than integral part of the collective human character.

Secondly it allows us to further indulge our artistic senses, our minds into intellect to thoughts, perspectives, concepts, ideas and ideologies not considered previously at all.

In a grander contextual thought and expand our horizons to previously inconceivable worlds of socially poignant and presence of forms of concepts readily not available the status quo.

To understand within its obtuse pantheon is to see these words in a individualized socially accessible manner.

To educate oneself and become aware of such worlds with a open mind to critique and pass opinion is becoming more a sacrosanct act.: Such is the collective consciousness of society without barriers, borders or given social bias that study of genres.

They have been accepted in similar means become similarly in tone and context seriously accepted as a way to scrutiny problematized issues and revolutionize further social discourse accessible by anyone willing to challenge the status quo by creation of future content.

For Such mediums to cotninue its agency on the unseen collective mind we have since the inception through genre become taken more seriously as an art form and as a means to allow and celebrated as way to allow critique and perceive changing society issues, motions and views.

To this end, the study of such reflection brings a means to understand and conceive the future.

How has the academic reception of popular genres changed over time?

The Academic reception of popular genres, its study has previously considered as “low art” such as  from a postmodernist stance (hereby such exemplified as Herge’s  iconic characterization as comic series of Tintin) has from a social perspective has collectively matured and more accessible for the masses and students of academia to a complex science and art.

Since the inception formative birth of social’s movements e.g. of modernism (and towards the realization of the new inclusive verve of the postmodern era) the collective reception of academia towards what is popular in society has allowed us to see and pursuit of seeing the world from further repressed or otherwise unheard, voices of semiotically unique perspectives.

Perspectives especially towards the sought viewpoints of unique non biased cultural and genderism in an inclusive manner.

Examples – Negro/indigenous popualr centered narratives – sometimes exemplified as “Afro-Futurism“ or mainstream novels with female protagonists now being accepted into he mainstream as open and lauded accessible norms have gained substantial popularity in society.

Breaking apart from the central ‘white messiah complex’ are growing parts of woke vibrations towards a future vision of society, which genres are leading towards such realization.

They are also as a furthered trend towards a materialistic technological of all things “understood” in society towards the further conceptual trans-humanization of humanity and civilization, as their influence is felt on the pulse of auto-advertised ( , is another reason why they have become serious, academically pertinent and seen and studied.

Popular genres have from historical antiquities have become also more than just mediums. (exemplified such as stylized depiction of ‘comics’ – “low art”, Anime and the novel) they are an easy yet powerful means to evoke in dpeiction the eternal the battle  towards ignorance, prejudice, societal fears and privileges of gender, race and ethnicity.

The modern novel or anime have become an accessible and complex form of social commentary to postulate commentary and new ideas within society en masse.

Such portrayal of society and social issues have become more uniquely archetypical and de-problematised., they follow stream and flow of genres indeed has become mature, grown into human acceptance.

Within the masses audience towards totality in society the future figures as storytelling and push the envelope of opinion and truth from unheard sectors and audiences of popular culture in general.

In the case of the modern Novels we have found a means to allow artistic means and method to critique and inform en-mass that allows individuals to excite and fuel imaginations of the future next generations,  recall with reverence to honor the past, they re-orientate perspective, and educate in possibilities of theoretical perspective , Both concepts concrete and abstract.

Popular genres as the centerpiece of 21st century are, as a example of medium, form of the is now taken very seriously.

While In the case of Japanese art forms such as Anime, Mecha or Manga, we have witnessed a fount of rapid contextual maturity that has occurred in unseen breakneck pace popularized to infect the previously imagined status quo to an unreal place in subspace

A pace and subsapce so externalzied and propogated, to a point where the genre is taken to a serious multi billion dollar industry, respected, accepted and instutitonalzied as presence of stylized art form of a popular genre

Towards the impossible and inconceivable from the past towards the future where all examples uniqueness is s accepted and compositely complexly identified and celebrated.

Furthermore the reception of popular genres has become further acclimatized in position greater audience over time.

The definition of such an market ‘audience’ has grown and matured along with this pilgrigime of genres. An inclusion of all on the gender spectrum’s, ethnicity and sexual orientations towards a communicated vision of a better society.

Week 1: Academic reception of popular genres and the value of studying them.

Popular Genre is a new type of literature, that are ‘multi-model’ comprise of visual and/or audio elements with written material, often than not have imaginary worlds. Popular Genre are produce with technology, so technology development has a lot of impact on this new literature. 

However, many do not consider it to be a literature, as it is recent and are seen as not serious or classic enough when compare to the traditional literature like Shakespeare. As well as characters within popular genre are often being seen as two-dimensional with their characteristic having very little character development. But with the more technology is developed the more popular genre also evolved, especially with the New Media. So there was no study of this genre, until recently universities started to study the topic of Popular Genre as a form of literature.

This is due to its product being seen as artifacts in these time and age to younger generations. As popular genre also has quality and aspect that are interesting worth to study. Such as image and text relationships, concept and idea within the story like social and political issues that can be seen in the real world.

Week 3 Question: Why might the queering of Tintin offer new life to the series?

5. Why might the queering of Tintin offer new life to the series?

Tintin has already been established as a series plagued with issues regarding Hergé’s depiction of gender and sexuality yet despite this the topic of Tintin’s sexuality has been an aspect of discussion surrounding the series. This is due to Tintin’s sexuality within the comics being very ambiguous and as a result of this, the queering of Tintin could breed new life into the series by reclaiming him as a gay icon and in a way that could build off Tintin’s ambiguous sexuality. Taking the series in this direction could also present a way forward, past the problematic depictions of gender in the comic series.

Very little, if anything, about the character of Tintin, is defined by his gender, there is not anything particularly masculine about him. In Paul Mountfort’s article, Tintin, gender and desire (2020) he mentions how “envisaging Tintin as a girl or young woman would make little material difference to his depiction in the series, other than perhaps to raise eyebrows at his living arrangements with Haddock” (Mountfort, 2020, p.13). Throughout the many readings of the comic series, Tintin himself has been read as a strongly feminised character, especially when compared to Haddock who exhibits many traits that are typically associated with masculinity. This is due to Tintin showcasing many ‘feminine’ qualities like being silent, observant, and surprisingly tender, evidence of Tintin exhibiting these qualities is furthered due to his relationship with Haddock in which he assumes a more passive position. This is why the vagueness surrounding Tintin’s gender and sexuality is seen as inherently queer as it allows Tintin to be viewed as any gender or sexuality. Mountfort claims that “he can be read as a boy, a ‘girl’ (in relation to Haddock) and thus a quasi-adult male, or even a castrato. As gay, a-, bi-, or even pan-sexual” (Mountfort, 2020, p. 14). These qualities allow Tintin to be read as a queer character and why it would be a surprisingly natural step to canonize him as a gay icon. “He appears to sit somewhere outside of the heteronormative and in this respect evidences a form of queering” (Mountfort, 2020, p.3). Taking Tintin in this direction would not only create a revitalization of the series in some way, whether it be through an adaptation, remake, or brand-new series, it could allow Tintin’s character to be explored in various new ways and expand upon him.

Therefore, the queering of Tintin would help breed new life into the series by introducing a progressive aspect that shows the series is willing to change since the representation of gender and sexuality in the series is severally outdated. This allows the series to move forward past the problematic gender representation. The result would be a series that has undergone a cultural rehabilitation of sorts that could bring the series back and would also take advantage of the hidden potential present in the series by capitalizing on the possibility of Tintin as a gay icon.

References

Mountfort, P. (2020). Tintin, gender and desire. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2020.1729829

Week 1 Questions

  1. How has the academic reception of popular genres changed over time? 

Over time, popular genres have been typically excluded from literary canon, and were often overshadowed and seen as inferior to other types of literature such as poetry and other classical genres. Popular genres were not considered a serious form of literature which mostly resulted in their exclusion, however, through the years, many literature programmes included pop genres into their curriculums, and some even have their own designated academic papers. Some of these papers have aims to analyse the theories of the literary genre through various mediums of media such as, novels, stories, film, comics, etc. Some papers also examine different genres of fiction and the importance of popular genres in relation to understanding contemporary life, values, and meanings. The stereotypes of popular genres that used to limit them from being considered a serious genre are now becoming a study of their own, such as their formulaic plot structures, their multi-modal way of production, technological development, etc.  

  1. What might the value be of studying them? 

Studying popular genres is valuable as they often include a range of diverse ideas and stories through a range of mediums like books, films, comics, etc. Popular genres has been and still sometimes is considered a form of lowbrow literature, but often holds carefully crafted pieces of media from different times and places which, can be valuable to critique in the present day. It is also valuable in the way that popular genre may include interesting aspects and qualities that more traditional and ‘high’ literature lacks. Often popular genre can distort realism through creating imaginary worlds and themes which can present new ideas.  

Week 1- Popular genres academic reception

How has the academic reception of popular genres changed over time?  

When the rise of genres such as comics, science fiction, fantasy, romance and young adult novels became popular, there was a noticeable resistance from academics and literary intellectuals. Classical literature is something that is greatly valued in many cultures all 

 around the world, and acts as a tool that helps connects these cultures to their heritage and history. The primary purpose that popular genres obtain in their own realm of literature is escapism and entertainment. The sanctity of classical literature was felt to be violated by these new genres which seemed to be way too frivolous to be even called literature, according to the academics.  

A lot of stereotypes are associated with popular genres, and act as a barrier between them and the importance of classical literature, such as the use of formulaic plot structure, predictable resolutions and two-dimensional characterisation. Other arguments are that the multi-modality that can be found in pop genres deters from high literature and that technological development is the only reason for the occurrence of these texts.  Another widely distributed  criticism towards these types of genres was that their fantastical settings do not convey realism, therefore cannot be interpreted as serious literature. Another aspect of popular genres being looked down upon by academics and intellectuals is the fact that surely something that is new cannot be classical or worthy of appreciation.  

These views were not condoned by consumers for long, and a noticeable shift occurred as the rise of  mainstream media and popular culture became apparent. By infusing literature with topics and fields of interest which were appealing to the masses, it became something that was accessible to everybody, not just the literary intellectuals. Classical literature achieved it’s greatness through exploring the world of philosophy and phycology, one of the most accurate mediums to convey and reflect human nature and complicated questions about life. It is a misconception that popular genres lack this deep, philosophical ability because they operate in the realm of make believe and fantasy. Genres such as science fiction and fantasy often use elements of the fantastical as a metaphor to convey a deeper truth, going by the theory that fantasy is the way to get in touch with reality. Through fantastical creatures and make believe lands, maybe we are able to face ourselves and the world we live in.  

Why should we study them? 

This ability to be philosophical and serious through literature and still appeal to mainstream audiences changed the perspective of the academic realm and slowly popular genres have becoming more accepted and acknowledged. Besides from the ability to produce multidimensional and deep content, popular genres provide an insight into modern day society and reveal things about our current situation in a way that classical literature is unable to. In a way, popular genres will always lack some of the fundamental and established qualities of high literature, but offers alternative attributes such as the unique connection between image and text. Ultimately the content created in the realm of these genres is widely popular for a reason, and the immense pleasure that their audiences experience is something that should be taken into regard when defining the parameters and qualities of literature.   

Week 2 Question: What is the alleged connection between Hergé’s early comics and propaganda?

2. What is the alleged connection between Hergé’s early comics and propaganda?

The early works of Hergé have come under fire for many different reasons all of which regarding the controversial content in Tintin like Hergé’s depiction of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and the alleged connection between those comics and propaganda. For years critics have discussed and debated the connection between Hergé’s early comics and propaganda and whether it is emblematic of his politics. The newspaper where Hergé worked was the Le Petit Vingtième, a French publication that continued to publish under the Nazi occupation at the time when many other publications did not. As a result, Hergé’s early works are littered with Nazi propaganda, in Paul Mountfort’s Tintin as Spectacle: The Backstory of a Popular Franchise and Late Capital (Mountfort, 2016) he explicitly states that “The first two Tintin albums are pure right-wing propaganda. Soviets was doctrinaire anti-Bolshevism, Tintin au Congo/Tintin in the Congo (1930–31) a sustained valorization of the appalling Belgian colonial enterprise.” (Mountfort, 2016).

Hergé’s comic art propaganda would continue to infect later Tintin albums up until L’Étoile mystérieuse/The Shooting Star (1941–42). Tintin’s very inception was designed as a way to sell comics and the rapid gain in popularity that Tintin had, shows that it was successful in this regard, Mountfort points out that the comics were “from the outset part of a commercial enterprise designed to sell copy as well as ideology” (Mountfort, 2016). One reason as to how Tintin was able to gain such massive popularity fast was that it was published as a full novel-length album which, as Mountfort states, pushed Tintin “into a sphere quasi-independent from its parent magazine where it could be read in more novelistic terms than a “mere” strip cartoon” (Mountfort, 2016). The connection between Hergé’s early comics and propaganda is blatantly clear and since then an apologetic but quite defensive Hergé would tone down certain aspects of the comics but shrugged off the alleged connection to anti-Semitism. Hergé’s main excuse being that was the style back then. The bigger issue with the connection to propaganda in these earlier comics was the fact that Hergé was publishing at all during this time when many other publications shut down during the war rather than collaborate with Nazi propagandists. It puts Hergé in a position where it is very difficult to not see him as a Nazi collaborator. Thus, the connection between these early comics from Hergé and the alleged propaganda that is featured within them is all but apparent when their origin is understood.

References

Mountfort, P. (2016). Tintin as Spectacle: The Backstory of a Popular Franchise and Late Capital.

Remi, G. (1942). The Shooting Star. Casterman.

Week 1 Questions

1. How has the academic reception of popular genres changes over time?

Popular genres have been a point of contention in literature canon and have often been excluded from the literary canon that scholars have authorised, while genres like poetry and other prose literature in the classical mega-genres are label as having great importance and hold an incredibly privileged position in literature. Popular genres such as comics, science fiction, anime, and fantasy novels in the said canon have not been taken as seriously as other more classical literature. This is because of the may stereotypes surrounding popular genres with the prevailing ideas being that popular genres use formulaic plot structures, the characterisation is seen as being incredibly two-dimensional with little character development, and that because many exist in imaginary worlds they are difficult to take seriously. Over time, however, the reception to popular genres has shifted significantly and their gradual acceptance mirrors that of writing from minorities, and these days popular genres are studied in great depth alongside more classical literature.

 

2. What might the value be of studying them?

There is immense value in studying popular genre as they allow us to view a different perspective than that of classic literature which predominately came from very similar perspectives of older men. Popular genres show us the perspectives of people in minorities who have been unable to present their stories and critics like Terry Eagleton (Prof. Of Cultural Theory at the University of Manchester) argue that popular genres tell us more about society today than class literature. Media is much broader than what is deemed high art and it is all worth discussing as it has a great amount of influence on how we perceive issues present in society as they can broach these topics in interesting ways.

Week 1 Questions

  1. How has the academic reception of popular genres changed over time?

In the past, Popular genres were often excluded from approved literature, and pop genres such as comic or scientific fiction and fantasy novels were not accepted as serious literature. Also, as a product of technological development, the Pop genres were newly adopted in the evolution of new media, and it had stereotypes that it did not follow the practice of realism with the focus of the imaginary world. So popular genres were not accepted in academic fields dealing with classical and profound subjects.
Over time, however, there has been an argument that modern genres, including TV programs and pop, can tell more about today’s society than deal with classical literature. The gradual acceptance of Popular genres into literary research has led to writing about women, blacks, homosexuals, postcolonial and other marginalized groups and has caused many writers’ ambitions for their work. With increasing interest in popular genres and the acceptance of its academic importance, popular genres are now being taught as a subject in many universities.

  1. What might the value be of studying them?

By studying popular genres, we can realize the problems of the present society and indirectly accept the seriousness of the issues. When studying classical literature, we just analyzed the situation of the time and the author’s point of view. But exploring popular genres can foster the ability to critically analyze and find solutions to problems such as gender discrimination, crime, and poverty in society. Also, by accepting popular genres as serious literature, we can find ways to combine with the media to increase the amount of communication between people and develop it into an interactive medium.

Week One

How has the academic reputation of popular genres changed over time and what might be the value of studying them? 

In the past popular genres were not considered to be a legitimate form of literature for academic study. This is due to their often ‘informal’ nature, as what was considered to be ‘proper’ literature was written mostly by men and almost entirely by upper class people. Especially in cases of ‘genre fiction’ or mediums such as animation and comic strips, it was believed that the stories consisted of a basic, predictable plot line with other wishy-washy themes of magic, robots, and some plot-armoured heroic figures.  Thus, it was believed that there could be no academic reading of the genres, as they existed only to entertain. However, the narratives found within popular genres, while also being full of magic systems and sci-fi elements, are also deeply thematic and carry very strong messages throughout them that are worth looking at through the academic lens.

Although some academics still claim popular genres to be ‘not real literature’ that attitude has changed in recent years. More and more universities are introducing papers based around popular genres as they also are becoming more popular among general consumers. As more people are consuming popular genre media it is important that they are critically and academically analysed. When critically analysing a classical piece of literature we are only seeing the perspectives of the people who wrote at the time, mostly older and well educated men. Popular genres allows us to see into the world of those who were oppressed and unable to previously tell their stories. This is why it is important for these texts to be studied so we can understand the perspectives of people from alternative walks of life.